Staying entertained is part of leading a happy life, and it relaxes us when enjoying our spare time. The good news is that the modern world and the tech in it now give us more ways to do this than ever! While chatting on social media and streaming the latest movies are great fun, many people like to head online to play casino games and bet on sports. While both these things were not legal in most US states until relatively recently, many now legally allow people within their borders to enjoy them.

New Jersey is an excellent example of this and was a real trailblazer for online casino gaming and sports betting in the USA. In terms of online casino games, the state has many fully legal internet casinos to play at now. Just be sure to check out the Oddsseeker.com website first to find the best ones with the coolest games around. This casino comparison site will also show you the best NJ online casino free money sites to sign up with. 

In the same way that people have always loved to play casino games, sports are also something that many of us cannot live without. Whether you follow basketball, baseball, or football, this is true! As well as simply watching sports, many people also like to bet on them. This has seen the sports betting sector in both the USA and the world grow hugely in the last few years. 

But why do fans love to wager on sporting events? 

Why is betting on sports so popular? 

For those who do not get involved with sports betting, it can often be puzzling as to why people bet on sports. Of course, for dedicated sports fans, this is much easier to understand! Betting on sports allows you to get closer to the action and to feel closer to the teams you back. It also makes watching sports more exciting because you are personally invested in what is happening. 

The simple truth is that people like betting on sports to win money. Although you should always gamble responsibly, this is undoubtedly one thing that individuals find appealing. The other primary reason why sports betting is so popular lies in the sheer number of ways to bet and markets to bet on. The range of choices keeps it exciting and prevents it from getting boring. 

One increasingly popular way to wager on races or games is known as in-play betting. This is where bettors place wagers as the action happens in real-time. But what are the pros and cons of this way of betting on sports?

In-play sports betting – what are the pros?

As noted above, there are many ways you can choose to bet on sports. So, why do many opt for in-play betting? There are several pros which this way of getting closer to games offers. 

Firstly, this type of betting will usually offer the chance to cash out when play is taking place. That allows you to close a winning bet manually and bank any profit – even if the game is still playing or a race is still running. This can help you profit in the long term by taking home winnings when they are on offer and not losing them due to something happening later to scupper your bet. If you back the underdog to win in a soccer game and they score first, cashing out then means you make money even if the other side comes back to beat them. 

In-play betting is also great for making more informed bets on sports. Even with all the best research in the world, placing a bet before the action starts is always a risk. What if the side you back in football contains a player rated as one of the 50 best NFL players by franchise, but they get injured early on? What if a jockey’s mistake causes your horse to lose the race? 

In-play betting allows you to see how the action unfolds and means you can put on a bet from this position of knowledge. It also allows you the flexibility to change strategies as events unfold. In addition to this, in-play betting is simply great fun and offers faster-paced excitement than betting beforehand. 

What are the cons of betting in-play? 

For some sports fans, the fast-paced nature of betting as the action unfolds is too frenetic. If that is the case, it can be a more stressful way to bet. You also must factor in that odds for in-play bets are constantly changing – from shortening to lengthening out. This can sometimes mean you are not quick enough to place your bet and miss out on the odds you want before they change. For this reason, having a speedy internet connection is a must for in-play wagering. 

The changing nature of in-play odds can also see you worse off if you get on the wrong side of the action, compared to placing bets beforehand. A side in the NFL might be showing good value odds to win, but they could drop instantly in-play if they take the lead with only a few minutes left. As a result, you could end up backing the side at worse odds to win than if you put your bet on beforehand. You may also find that fewer games are available to bet in-play and you get so caught up in betting that you do not focus on the action as usual.

In-play betting is one option to consider 

For anyone new to betting on sports, it is vital to consider how you will bet and which markets you will bet on. This will then dictate which strategy you will use in your betting and how you will approach it. In-play betting is a fast-growing way of wagering on sports and has lots to recommend it. As with anything in life, there are a few cons too! With this in mind, it is crucial to understand it before diving in fully.

Kyrie Irving told the people of Boston that he would be there for years.  That was technically true, as it was only two.  Irving joined the Brooklyn Nets as a Free Agent in 2019, and he would be joined by Kevin Durant, who would be unable to play due to injury.

Injuries were also a factor for Irving, who only played 20 Games in his first Brooklyn season due to season-ending shoulder surgery.  He was far healthier in his second year, as was Durant, and they had an incoming James Harden, creating a superteam in the East.  Irving went to the All-Star Game that year, was a Third Team All-NBA Selection and he averaged 26.9 Points per Game.  Injuries among the big three prevented a deep run for the Nets, and it looked like they could get there soon, but an implosion was about to take place.

Irving refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine and was held to playing half of the season's worth of games in 2021-22.  Harden asked for a trade out of Brooklyn, and Irving seemingly became more and more controversial by the month.  He survived the season, and when the pandemic was over,, Irving went back to his usual self.  What did that mean?  He was still incredible on the court, and miserable off of it,  Irving was chosen for another All-Star Game, posted great numbers bt wanted out and got his wish, when the Nets engineered a trade to Dallas

Irving wasl a superstar and game-changer, but is an enigma wrapped in a riddle.  

Joe Harris was arguably a bust in his first two years in Cleveland, who traded him to Orlando.  The Magic immediately waived him, but the Nets thought he would worthy of a look, and signed him in 2018.

Harris had more playing time on the Nets, who were not nearly as competitive as the Cavs.  Harris started 11 (of 52) Games in his first year as a Net, and he played a little more the year after.  His shooting accuracy was improving, and in 2018-19, Harris was given the chance to be a starter.

Harris brought up his 3-Point Shooting Percentage to .474, and he led the NBA in that category.  This would become his specialty, as long-range shooting was his calling card, though a criticism of calling him one-dimensional would not be wrong.  As the Nets acquired superstars (Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, James Harden), Harris remained a starter, and in 2020-21, he was first again in 3-Point Shooting Percentage.  As the above superstars left, Harris remained a potent shooter from behind the arc, but his overall skills were stil lacking and he started less in 2022-23, which was his final year in Brooklyn, as he was traded to Detroit in the off-season.

Of all the US states that have legalized sports betting since the Supreme Court decision of 2018, few have endured as wild a ride as Illinois.

Lawmakers in the state officially approved sports betting back in 2019. By March 2020, physical sportsbooks were open for business, taking bets on the NCAA Tournament, which seemed like an ideal time to launch a betting sector. In a normal year, it would have been. However, 2020 was not a normal year and the fledgling Illinois sports betting sector soon suffered the same fate as other leisure sectors throughout the US.

One problem that was particular to Illinois was the 18-month in-person registration requirement for mobile betting. This required betting fans to register with physical sportsbooks before they could use mobile apps. Fortunately, this was suspended for most of the second half of 2020 and although it has beenreinstated, many Illinois sports fans are now able to bet using their mobiles.

DraftKings

DraftKings established itself thanks to the rise of Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) during the 2010s and has been one of the first operators to embrace sports betting, launching its New Jersey platform just three months after the Supreme Court decision.

WSN.com reports that the sportsbook set up operations in Illinois on August 5, 2020, through a partnership with the Casino Queen casino venue. Since then, it has been gaining popularity among sports betting fans thanks to an app that offers competitive promotions such as daily odds boosts and deposit bonuses, all packaged in a sleek and user-friendly design.

William Hill

One of the oldest names in the betting business, with a brand that dates back to 1934, William Hill entered the Illinois market thanks to a deal with the Grand Victoria Casino. Despite being one of the later entrants to the state, it has made significant inroads with Illinois sports bettors.

The William Hill brand needs little introduction, but they are notable for having updated their betting model to adapt to the modern online market, producing an easy to use betting app that is clear and free of clutter, and offering access to an impressive variety of betting markets, including a strong live betting section and access to stats and data to help bettors plan their wagers.

FanDuel

FanDuel is the main rival to DraftKings in the DFS sector and has taken a similarly proactive approach to getting a piece of the sports betting market. It was able to gain a foothold in Illinois through an arrangement with the Par-A-Dice Casino and has developed a strong following.

The FanDuel sportsbook is one of the most aesthetically pleasing betting platforms available to Illinois customers. The platform provides an easy-to-use navigation system and an impressive welcome bonus. A great site forfootball fans and newcomers, FanDuel’s app has certainly caught on with Illinois fans.

BetRivers

Powered by betting industry titan Rush Street Interactive, BetRivers has the distinction of being the first Illinois sportsbook to go live, launching on June 18, 2020, following the Rush Street Rivers Casino Des Plaines being the first retail betting location to go live, on March 9, 2020.

The BetRivers app provides a handy $250 first deposit match for new customers. The app has been successfully deployed in a number of other states, notably in the thriving betting markets of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. While not as flashy as the mobile platforms produced by some of its rivals, this app provides a solid and reliable sports betting platform.

PointsBet

PointsBet, which was founded in Australia in 2017, doesn’t have the highest profile among the US sports betting fraternity, but that is changing. The company was relatively unknown when it entered the New Jersey market, but it soon proved to be extremely popular and has been able to extend its brand to Illinois, thanks to a deal with Hawthorne Race Course in Cicero.

PointsBet have been able to earn a strong reputation with Illinois sports betting customers thanks to their excellent marketing, which includes a range of promotions, including bad beat refunds, odds boosts and other user-friendly deals.

This app is also popular thanks to the innovative PointsBetting system. This offers bettors the chance to risk and win more on a bet, based on the extent to which their selection wins or loses, combining traditional sports betting with some of the strengths of spread betting.

Summary

Illinois is one of the most significant sports betting states in the US and is well served by a number of top sports betting apps, giving bettors a wide and varied selection of wagering platforms.